South Point, Hawaii (Big Island)

This place is definitely off the beaten track. When I went here in August it was just my family, some cliff divers and I. The southern most point is this big rock face that overlooks the ocean. There is a blowhole right at the point, and if you look to your right you see this magnificent rock face carved by the wind. It's a very neat place. Also, a peculiar sight on the way there. The only way to get there is to drive down a road for 20 minutes from the highway. If you look on your right driving down you'll notice a massive wind farm that has these large windmills. However, this farm looks as if it has been left to rot by the company, and you'll see these big, rusty white towers with windmills with one, or maybe even no blades on it. This sight is a little of the route, but it is definitely worth seeing. There is also a beach with Green Sand if you turn left at the last fork in the road.

Once you arrive in this part of the big Island you will find every single place called something like “The Southernmost bar in the US”, “The Southernmost grocery store”, “The last beer in the South” etc, just because this place really is the southernmost point of the US. But, one tiny store had the name “Will & Grace”. I was curious and went to see who would name a grocery store after a TV show.
What I found out was one of these local experiences that we all travel for. Will and Grace Tabios are real, and have been known in this area for their coffee.
Hawaii is the only state in the US where coffee is grown. The climate is just perfect for coffee plants and the lava mixed soil apparently affects the taste of the coffee. Grace told us that, 9 years ago, Will decided to become coffee farmer and they never looked back ever since. Over the years they won several awards and became quite famous, not only in the US. In Hawaii, you will find several restaurants that serve only The Rising Sun farm coffee, which said to be unique in its taste.
If you’re driving to the Green Sand beach from the Hilo side there’s no way you’ll miss Grace’s tiny shop. Make a short stop, taste the coffee and enjoy some of her homemade Filipino sweets.

... but not for swimming... just watching

Ever seen a Black Sand Beach or Green Sand Beach? You can find these amazing beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii.
It'll take you about an hour walk to get to Green Sand Beach. This is absolutely fantastic, a real insider tip!! bring some water!

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The cliff near South Point Park is a common mooring place for modern day
fishermen who find these waters a rich resource. From the precipice the drop
is about forty feet to the ocean's surface, but the cliff base goes down
another thirty feet below the surface of the water. Ladders, hung to make
access to the boats easier, swing freely in the air just above the sea. The
cliff is deeply undercut. In the heat of the day the water looks inviting.
It is so clear the bottom can be seen plainly. For some there might be a
temptation to leap into the cool water, and climb back up the ladder. It
looks inviting, but don't do it. A swift current runs along the shore. The
flow will carry anyone in the water straight out to sea. It is called the
Halaea Current, named for a chief who was carried off to his death.

One of South Point's most famous scenic spots is Mahana Beach, also called
Green Sands Beach because it has a distinctive golden green color. "The
grains of green sand are olivine (or call it peridot if you wish although
not much of the sand is truly of gem quality), a common mineral in much of
the Hawaiian basalt, and as the basalt undergoes weathering the olivine
becomes concentrated on this beach due partly to its high specific gravity."
(They are apparent as green flecks in the raw lava stones used to build the
columns and walls of the Jagger Museum at Kilauea's Volcano National Park.)
As lava reached the coast, erosional forces, and the specific gravity of the
stones, perhaps are responsible for the accumulation of such a large
quantity of the granules that produced the green sand beach.

You can't get any farther south in the USA than South Point.
South Point has a rocky coast line and winds so strong that I could barely stand still.
You will see some trees almost horizontal from the wind blowing them.
There isn't alot here but some beautiful ocean
shots can be taken.